You've seen it before, you saw it this week and you'll probably
see it again! Carr Mill Mall resorting to the Coulteresque
method of self-promotion and getting thousands of hours of
free newspaper time for free. As Ann Coulter, the guru of
right wing extremist idiocy says "Why pay for advertising
when you can get it free!"

Now you see it!

Now you don't!

Picking up on Coulter's
technique of "shock treatment"- stating the incredible
inane, insane and certifiably ridiculous and being catapulted
into the headlines- Carr Mill can only be commended for its
perfecting of the science.

Banning Bruce from
dancing? Banning Hoopers from Hooping? Banning musicians from
playing music in a big open area? "Completely inane,
insane and certifiably ridiculous", stated one unnamed
future Carrboro Alderperson who wished to remain unnamed.
"Everyone knew it was a ploy to get coverage. The shops
are complaining that it doesn't have the amount of foot traffic
to sustain even the most basic shop. They were pressuring
Carr Mill to promote the mall at a higher level and Carr Mill
didn't want to invest in the advertising cost.".

After consulting
the Carrboro Advertising Think Tank, they came up with the
new technique. Get free press at any cost.

The Bruce-Hooper-Musician
ploy was the perfect solution as the results indicate. Months
full of exposure that led all the way to the highest levels
of the North Carolina Government. This kind of advertising
can't be bought! Speeches, demonstrations, petitions and most
of all the crowned prince of publicity- tens of newspaper
articles and letters to the editors. The only way any organization
could get so much publicity would be to propose something
that is totally ludicrous.

With the winter
doldrums winding to an end, The Carrboro Advertising Think
Tank recommended another effective shock treatment. "It
must be believable, organized and well planned."....
and thus the signs with the new rules.

Anyone seeing the
signs would have to realize that it was a well thought out
plan that took weeks to implement. The signs were beautiful-
glisteningly white with perfect lettering, in plain view only
yards from the picnic tables.... who could miss them?

Nobody missed them,
as was planned.... and the barrage of inquiries, letters to
the editor and newspaper articles were evidence of that. Mission
accomplished... and then only days later the signs were removed
with the Carr Mill group stating that "There were some
mistakes in the rules". Mission doubly accomplished as
it kept Carr Mill in the press for another couple of days!

So next time Carr
Mill management tries to catapult itself into the headlines,
don't over react....just ignore them and if we're lucky, they
may go away!